NIU women’s tennis (14-4, 1-1 MAC) dropped its first conference match against the Ball State Cardinals (8-4, 2-0 MAC), falling in a 5-2 loss.
“Some of their players play a little bit of an unorthodox style that we just aren’t used to playing against,” said NIU women’s tennis head coach Eric Burns on Ball State’s team. “Quite honestly, we just didn’t handle it very well. We keep working on it, but you’ve got to execute in the pressure situations and we just weren’t good on big points today.”
Junior Isabella Righi and freshman Lucia Yecora fell in a 6-1 defeat against Ball State sophomore duo Sarah Shahbaz and Isabelle Tanjuantco.
The doubles point was decided in a tiebreaker set at the No. 1 spot, when senior Maria Dzemeskevich and junior Nataly Ninova dropped a 7-6 (7-2) set against Ball State graduate student Chloe Brown and freshman Alana Bristow.
Junior Jenna Horne and senior Reagan Welch were locked in a 6-6 battle with Ball State seniors Ella Hazelbaker and Elena Malykh when the match was ruled unfinished.
The Huskies dropped four singles matches in the loss, with freshmen earning the lone points for the Huskies.
Dzemeshkevich was routed by Malykh in 6-4, 6-1 sets.
Freshman Irmak Budak fell in a 10-7 tiebreaker against freshman Jem Williams-Phillip after 5-7, 6-2 sets.
After a close 7-6 (8-6) first set loss, Ninova dropped a 6-2 second set for the loss against Shahbaz.
Righi was defeated in 6-3, 6-2 sets by Tanjuantco at the No. 5 singles spot.
Freshman Theodora Kousiou earned the first point for the Huskies, besting Bristow in 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) sets.
Yecora took a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Brown, coming back from a first set loss for her 11th win of the season.
“Lucia (Yecora) really battled back in her match,” Burns said. “She made a lot of adjustments and showed the kind of poise that we needed across the board today. Theodora got thrown in at No. 6 and just performed really well.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies look to get back in the win column at noon Sunday at the West Hills Athletic Club in Kalamazoo, Michigan, against Western Michigan University. Live stats will be updated on StatBroadcast.
“We’ve got to believe in our games and our shots,” Burns said. “There’s no time for self doubt when you’re out there on the court. We’ve got to come out and be strong and not be afraid to take it to them. It’s going to be another tough match.”
